Development of a guideline for characterisation of biogenic waste - pretest in two cities in Upper Austria and development of a guideline

The amount of biogenic waste collected in Upper Austria is to be increased from the current 71,400 tonnes to 100,000 tonnes by 2021 through appropriate measures. For this purpose, the number of households connected to the biotonne collection is to be increased from currently 59% to 70%. On the one hand, the proportion of biogenic waste in residual waste is to be reduced as much as possible (Upper Austrian State Waste Management Plan 2017), and on the other hand the collection quantities for biological recycling are to be increased. Existing method regulations for the analysis of the biowaste composition, in particular those of the Bundesgütegemeinschaft Kompost e.V. for batch and area analysis (BGK, 2018a ; BGK, 2018b ), do not provide any indication of the accuracy of a fraction (e.g. impurities) with a certain sample mass (or number). Vice versa, the required sample mass cannot be determined with an accuracy to be maintained. On this basis, it is not possible to estimate the significance or uncertainties of e.g. biowaste analyses for the determination of impurities with e.g. sample masses of 50, 500 or 2000 kilograms. For operators of compost or biogas plants as well as for municipalities and other waste management actors, there is a need for uniform and - in terms of effort (especially number and mass of samples) and information gain (accuracy) - efficient analysis regulations. In the course of the project, a suitable methodology for the planning and implementation of impurity analyses in the biotonne collection is to be developed. Corresponding planning parameters such as the selection of the study area, the determination of the required sample mass and number as well as the sampling unit, the selection of the access level (collection container, collection vehicle) as well as the subdivision of the population into layers are to be evaluated by means of a pre-test. Based on the results, a guideline will be elaborated which will provide a sound, uniform basis for future biowaste analyses for users in the state and the district waste associations.